"They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." Hebrews 11:37b-38

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

I Must be Making Progress. . . the Gossips and Slanderers are Out and About!

One of my pastimes in my spare moments is to contribute discussion comments to a Facebook group on local current events. I've also been made an administrator of the group due to my reasonable nature and willingness to thoughtfully contribute. Not everyone out there reading my comments on the 'Net cares for what I say, of course. Not everyone agrees with everybody else. . . me included. Some times it's hard to find out what position to take. Many times it's best to take a position of "I don't know for sure without a lot more research" which is more true of the situation than most. Cool heads prevail, hot heads just get steamed. There's a culture amongst some here in the United States of making partisan politics *THE* only thing that is worth discussing, and having your candidates and/or your party and/or your ballot issues win. . . or else. It literally is a blood sport with these people, to the point of becoming an actual religion in my humble opinion. When it goes that far, I'd call that making a false idol of politics and political speech, forgetting the Lord and his rightful position in one's life. Anyways, with the help of our small group of administrators/moderators, we found - in the normal course of comments made yesterday - one such person. And they have it in for me personally in the world's worst way for reasons I don't even begin to understand. . . so sad. I've never even met the person as far as I know. Why make such drama on Facebook? I dunno. The person's arrogance and insistence that they were right, and everyone else opposing them was wrong, combined with some extremely bad advice concerning the primary election just concluded, gave all of us pause. I put two and two together and realized that this person commenting must be a sockpuppet. . . someone having the cowardice to wear a mask on Facebook and say they were a non real name person. We checked, and it was agreed this person was a fake person. . . not allowed under the group's rules, by the way. . . and POOF! They were gone. They'll no doubt try to get back in under yet another nom de plume sockpuppet personality. . . but their way of speaking, their vocabulary, their passions, and their arrogance always identify them once again. Go ahead. . . make my day!Anyways, in the course of the day, I was notified that this person was gossiping and libeling me in some other forum somewhere. So what? What is that to me? I love many of the quotes of Sir Winston Churchill, a leader who took his responsibilities in leading Great Britain in World War II seriously. One of them is this apt statement: "You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." Indeed I have. I have enemies. Jesus had enemies, too. The Pharisees, for one, were constantly trying to trip him up and get him killed. Serious business, being in that position he was in. As His follower and disciple, I am told I will get the same treatment Jesus got. Goes with the territory. Here's some applicable Bible verses on gossip and slander - and wise speech - I've found.

My enemies speak evil against me. "When will he die, and his name perish?" And when he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood; His heart gathers wickedness to itself; When he goes outside, he tells it. All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt, saying, "A wicked thing is poured out upon him. That when he lies down, he will not rise up again." Psalm 41:5-8

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable. But he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 10: 19

A fool's lips bring strife. And his mouth calls for blows. A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of the soul. Proverbs 18:6-7

He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23

A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. Proverbs 29:11

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Jesus in Matthew 12:36-37

At the same time they learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house: and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. 1 Timothy 5:13

Argue your case with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret of another, or he who hears it will reproach you, And the evil report about you will not pass away. Proverbs 25:9-10

For the lack of wood a fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention dies down. Proverbs 26:20

You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. Exodus 23:1

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure. Psalms 101:5

He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 10:18

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalms 141:3

He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip. Proverbs 20:19

*** *** ***Do not associate with a gossip. Great advice from God's word today! And for those gossipers, slanderers (verbal malice), and libelers (printed malice). . . I'll be doing everything I can in the spare moments I may have to either help you to see the error of your ways. . . or be gone from a particular Facebook group. Don't have time for foolish strife. . . there's better things to be doing for God's Kingdom, and I'll be about them versus such small minded things like backbiting and gossip.